Power Rangers Ocean Force
by Mirai Trunks
Summary: When a new threat attacks an underwater colony, an alien comes bearing new Ranger Powers to defend the Earth from invasion.
1. Chapter One: Dive In!

The year is 2015. A young man walked across the submerged dock of the underwater research colony designated H-307 on the planet Earth. His name is Ben. He's a high school senior at the oceanic academy stationed within the colony. H-307 (the H stands for Hydro), is a 5-year-old project started by several families of scientists to explore new territory for human habitation, since land space on the Earth's surface is becoming vastly crowded; with more and more cities becoming cramped mega-cities like New York and Tokyo, while natural preserves are made of rain forests, jungles, and deserts. No one wanted to harm these untapped resources after the horrible extinction rate of species within these areas at the end of the previous century. While one group worked on floating space colonies, Ben's father's group had decided to try using the still largely unexplored oceans.  
  
Ben paused. This is where all major supply runners and other commuters keep their amphibious craft when not running back and forth between the surface and the sea floor. He glanced around at the various submersibles and smiled. Soon, he would have one too, if he kept his grades up. Ben longed for the ability to explore the open ocean while zipping around in his own little ship. Craning his neck back, Ben looked up through the transparisteel sheets that form the walls of the tube that is the dock. He still remembered the day when his whole life had been torn asunder... when his family members ended their life above, and journeyed below to their new home.  
  
A strange glint in the murky depths before him, and Ben walked closer to the transparent wall to get a better view. Having lived on the station for five years, Ben had become intimately aware of the many types of marine life. His schooling in the science of the sea enhanced this knowledge. That flash of an object as it shot through the water was unlike any fish or mammal he had seen before.  
  
The object darted back across his field of view. It made an insanely abrupt turn and scattered a huge school of fish as it descended again. Then it vanished into the distance. Ben furrowed his brow in thought. Suddenly, the entire structure began to vibrate, as a low rumble reverberated through the corridor. The few other people present (it was Saturday, and most people were relaxing at home), got nervous and began to run for the airlock to the main part of the station. Ben wouldn't budge. As the rumble reached a crescendo, the thing reappeared as it flew straight over his head in a diagonal descent. Ben recognized it as a ship of some sort, although it did resemble a fish in its proportions. It looped about a few times then slammed into the ocean floor some 50 meters from where he stood, creating a great tumult in the sand around the station.  
  
Ben glanced over his shoulder, made sure no one was around, and then ran to the control desk. He looked up which research craft had recently returned, found one suitable, memorized the access code and ran to the ship. After punching in the code, he hopped in the cockpit, submerged, and headed out the docking bay doors. It was only a matter of minutes before he reached the crashed vessel. He flipped the com to an open frequency.  
  
"Harvester Express to unknown ship, are you all right?" He spoke uneasily. He repeated it a second time. He actually got a response this time.  
  
"Harvester *bzzzzt* Express, this is the- *bzzzzzt*," the garbled reply said.  
  
"Repeat unknown ship, you were cut off at the end."  
  
"I reiterate, this is the *bzzzzt* Remnant of Jukta, we request *bzzzzt* assistance, over."  
  
"Remnant of Jukta, where is a side hatch that I could berth with?"  
  
"Starboard *bzzzt* side, look for a *bzzzzt* yellow panel."  
  
Ben scanned the side of the ship through the haze and saw a faint yellow form.  
  
"Got it, extending the docking tube now," he flipped the access switches.  
  
"Acknowledged, Harvester Express."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
A short while later, Ben climbed aboard the mysterious craft with glow lamp in hand as he crept along. As he walked, he scanned the area with the beam of the glow lamp, slowly passing it back and forth into the darkness. So far, he had yet to see any sign of the being that had spoken to him earlier. Only damaged equipment that definitely had an otherworld feel to it. He reached a crossway that had four tunnels leading off into different areas. He shone the beam down each before making his decision, which he decided was a good idea since two of them were blocked off by rubble. A sound behind echoed behind Ben, startling him. He spun on his heel and waved his glow lamp around.  
  
"H-hello? Is anyone there? This is the captain of the Harvester Express."  
  
"Ah, there you are," replied an unusual voice emanating from the darkness in front of him. A bright light filled the area, causing Ben to shield his eyes. "Oh, sorry." The mysterious person apologized, turning the light off.  
  
"Who are you, anyway?"  
  
"I think the better question for the moment is: where am I?"  
  
"That's easy, the planet Earth."  
  
"Earth! Really!? Oh dear..."  
  
"What is it?"  
  
"I crashed on the wrong planet!" The voice exclaimed.  
  
"WHAT!?" Ben practically shouted.  
  
"Kidding, kidding. Oh. I forgot. Let me introduce myself," the voice moved toward Ben, and its figure became visible. It was definitely a she - Ben could tell by the curves - the alien wore a black bodysuit with light green piping, short rubber boots, and a peculiar silver bracelet on her wrist. Her appearance was humanoid, but she had a light blue geometric pattern across her cheeks and on the tip of her chin leading down her throat and into the neck of her wet-suit. Ben hazarded to guess where the marks ended.  
  
She had short hair, with the top spiked upward. It was jet-black, darker than Ben's own black hair, and was tinged a light blue at the tips. She had two locks of hair, on the sides of her head, one tucked behind each ear. Speaking of her ears, instead of being rounded, they were tri-pointed, like a fish's fin. Her eyes were an ice blue. To Ben, the female alien was quite beautiful.  
  
"My name is Avot," she extended her hand, which, Ben noticed, had the same blue pattern across the back. He hesitantly reached out and took her hand. After shaking it for a moment, Ben tried to release her hand, but Avot refused. She took his hand in both of hers and began examining it.  
  
"Interesting," she murmured.  
  
"What is it?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.  
  
"The structures are almost identical, but your digits are not adapted to life in the water."  
  
"What do you mean?" She raised her left hand and splayed her fingers.  
  
"You lack the most basic of webbing," her fingers had light blue flaps across her middle knuckles down to the V between each pair. Ben pulled his captured hand back in mild disgust mixed with surprise.  
  
"Oh, did I hurt you... Ben?" She looked at him worriedly.  
  
"Nah... Your um... webbing is just a little unusual to me... that's all."  
  
"I see," Avot seemed perplexed.  
  
"I just seems strange to me that humans would be living below the ocean's surface and not have evolved for such a lifestyle," she released his hand.  
  
"Yeah, that's a long story."  
  
"I mean, granted, my webbing is somewhat reduced but nevertheless," a loud groan of bending girders interrupted her.  
  
"It may be better to continue this discussion elsewhere," Avot suggested.  
  
"Sounds good, just follow me back to my sub." They were walking for a few moments when Avot suddenly stopped and gasped.  
  
"What? What is it, Avot?" He noticed she had a somewhat wild look on her face. Like she just remembered something.  
  
"I almost forgot!" She ran back into the darkness. The padding of her feet echoed off the metallic walls of the Remnant of Jukta. She returned momentarily clutching a small, worn metal case in the crux of her elbow. Ben stole a gaze at the object and raised an eyebrow.  
  
"What's that?" He indicated the box with a nod.  
  
"Oh," she answered nervously. "...I'll explain... later."  
  
"Alright," They ran back to the Harvester Express.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Safely in the relative security of his room, Ben helped Avot remove the cumbersome tech-cloak she had been wearing.  
  
"Now," she ran a hand through the spikes at the top of her forehead. "Explain to me why I had to wear that," Avot pointed at the rubber coated coat, now piled on the floor.  
  
"You must realize, we don't exactly get many aliens around here, especially any aliens from... what planet do you come from?"  
  
"Jukta. It's in the solar system next door. As you can tell by my physical features," she waved a hand from her neck downward. "Jukta is a water covered planet," she sat down on the edge of his bed.  
  
"Does that mean you have gills?" Ben sat down in a chair by his computer and rotated to face her. She smiled, unzipped her wetsuit a little, and pulled a flap down to show three blue-tinged slits on the left side of the base of her neck.  
  
"I see... Anyway, what's that in the box?"  
  
"Oh right... about those..." She glanced at the metal container in her lap.  
  
"Those?" Ben asked. Avot paused for a moment like she was trying to figure out how to word her response.  
  
"...Have you ever heard of the Power Rangers...?" She inquired hesitantly.  
  
"Power Rangers...? Of course!" His eyes lit up, and he flashed a grin. "But there hasn't been any Power Rangers in years..."  
  
"Yeah, well..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I guess I better start from the beginning," She leaned toward Ben. "I told you a very vague description about my planet, but the thing is... we've been at war for the past several years. An alien race called the Quarra, lead by Overlord Vratix, invaded Jukta from another planet in our solar system. Like us, they are evolved for a life in the water, and their advanced weaponry gave then a great advantage. After all, we Juktans are primarily a peace-loving specie, and our weapons exist for basic protection purposes, against crime and wild creatures... not as weapons of mass destruction."  
  
"Oh no..."  
  
"Needless to say... we were decimated by Vratix and his Sharkon army..." a tear trickled down her face. "A small group, including my immediate family was able to avoid capture. We escaped on a small ship to another planet, where we are trying to rebuild our civilization. In an effort to mask our ship's exit vector, we fired off a decoy ship in a random direction of space."  
  
"And that ship..."  
  
"Ended up in this solar system and burnt up in Earth's atmosphere after partially colliding with an asteroid. Only after figuring out where the decoy went did we realize it had reached an inhabited planet."  
  
"And that's why you're here."  
  
"Yup. When we found out about our mistake, I was sent here to warn to Earthlings and to assemble a team to defend the Earth if necessary."  
  
"And, is it necessary?"  
  
"My ship was shot down upon approach, what does that tell you?"  
  
"Oh."  
  
"Here, take a look at these," she unfastened the lock and opened the box. Inside were three silver wrist bands with different colored pieces of coral in the center, red, black, and pink.  
  
"These are the Ocean Force Power Depth Gauges. They are used to access the Ranger powers."  
  
"Let me guess, you want me to be a Ranger..."  
  
"Now that you mention it," she smiled and held out the case. Ben reached in and selected the red gauge.  
  
"Wise choice, Ben. You are now the Red Mako Ocean Force Ranger," she watched as he strapped the gauge to his wrist.  
  
"What about the other gauges, who are we going to give them to?"  
  
"Assuming you know a group of well suited individuals, it'll be those guys."  
  
"But what about -" a loud explosion shook the room.  
  
"Oh no..."  
  
"What the heck was that?"  
  
"Aerial bombardment," she closed the case and locked it. "They must have tracked the location where my ship crashed-"  
  
"-Which is right next to the research station!" Ben concluded her thought.  
  
"We better head to the surface before they manage to launch their below surface attack."  
  
"So, I guess it's Morphin' Time?"  
  
"You got it!" She replied with a grin. They stood side by side. Ben watched her movements and carefully mimicked them. They crossed their arms diagonally at the forearm below the wrist, and unfolded their arms as they pointed their pointed hands skyward, with the left hand pressing the activation button on the gauge.  
  
"Power Rangers Ocean Force, dive in!" Beams of light, red and green, enveloped them, followed by jets of water of the same color. Their suits appeared, followed by their helmets. Ben's was shaped like the head of a shark, with the teeth around his eye port. A fin protruded from the top of his helmet. Avot's green suit was a little different from his, with a golden shoulder pads, and a skirt. Her helmet resembled a sea turtle, with the tip of the golden beak between the two halves of her view port.  
  
"Let's do it!" She shouted, tapping her Depth Gauge. Ben followed suit, and a wave of bubbles engulfed them.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"What the heck is that!?" Ben pointed to the elongated, jellyfish-like ship that floated above the surface of the water. They stood on a beach on the western coast of the United States.  
  
"That's Vratix's landing ship. A similar, but larger vessel orbits the planet in a cloaked state to avoid detection by any satellites." The ship hovered closer to the shore and extended the largest tentacle that dangle from the center of its underside. Three aliens disembarked and now stood opposite the Rangers.  
  
"General Vratix..." Avot hissed.  
  
"Oh, don't look so surprised, girl," the finned monster replied sarcastically.  
  
"Don't forget us, little Juktan!" Shouted Vratix's main generals, Yurta and Mohtran.  
  
"This ends here, Vratix!" Ben challenged.  
  
"Is this one of yours, or a pitiful Earthling recruit, Juktan?" Vratix sneered.  
  
"Enough!" Avot and Ben formed battle stances.  
  
"You don't think I'll let you fight me on the first day do you?" Vratix laughed. "Sharkons, attack!" He threw his arms out wide, and a wave crashed onto the beach, revealing over a dozen shark-men.  
  
"Have fun, Rangers!" Vratix and his generals stepped back onto the extended tentacle and boarded the landing craft.  
  
"Alright Ben, follow my lead." Avot ran straight toward the Sharkons.  
  
Avot dived forward, arms out wide. She decked two Sharkons, rolled and sprang into a leap-kick, taking down another one. Reaching into the holster at her side, she pulled out the harpoon dagger, a combination harpoon-gun blaster and saber. Switching to saber mode, she slashed a Sharkon across the chest. It collapsed at her feet.  
  
Ben roundhoused a Sharkon, rotated on his heel, and punched another in its toothy-grin. Ducking, a blow, he elbowed one of them in the gut, and swept the feet out from a Sharkon that was approaching from the side. He jumped upward and slammed another down with a double-fisted hammer blow. Ben noticed a trio of Sharkons sneaking up behind Avot. He grabbed his harpoon dagger, and fired off a burst of shots, dropping the monsters before they got to her.  
  
Avot nodded her thanks and took down another Sharkon with the harpoon dagger. A group of five remained, and Ben hurried over to join Avot. Side- by-side, they side-kicked two Sharkons. Slashing outward, two more Sharkons joined the rest writhing in the sand. The last tilted its head and turned to run back toward the water. In unison, Avot and Ben converted the harpoon daggers to blaster mode and blasted the creature as it jumped in the air, aiming for the crashing waves. All the other Sharkons convulsed for a few seconds and disintegrated. Relieved, the rangers holstered the daggers and grasped each other's gloved hand.  
  
"Good work, Ben."  
  
"Thanks. Don't tell me it's always going to be this easy. is it?"  
  
"Just wait and see..."  
  
They turned and looked over the surface of the ocean, with the sun gleaming across the deep blue expanse. The Ocean Force Rangers had fought, and won their first battle against the forces of Overlord Vratix. It certainly would not be their last. 


	2. Chapter Two: Two More Rangers

It had been several days since Overlord Vratix's initial attack against the colony. Although the scientist inhabitants didn't actually see the battle, word got around from the surface of the return of the Power Rangers. All the parents' and young adults' conversations were bustling with stories of Power Rangers past, and how they saved the Earth, time and again. Every time Ben overheard such an exchange he would inwardly smile.  
  
They had managed to hide Avot's alien features, particularly the fin-like edges of her ears and her gills with a variety of headbands and close- necked shirts. The markings were not so unusual, nor the hair, as a number kids expressed themselves with various piercings and hair styles. Ben was able to secure Avot a position in his school's sub-repair and exploration group. The great amount of time spent in the water was very relaxing for her, and the tinkering with the machinery was easy, since the technology was so far behind the level of her race's own ships. Even though Avot could easily live outside of the water, she was more at ease after being able to take refreshing dips in the ocean and give her gills some exercise.  
  
The two of them were now at a local teenager hangout, an arcade/soda shop place called "SF," short for "Sea Floor." Amidst the hustle and bustle as well as the many discussions, they sat in a secluded corner, able to talk safely.  
  
"Ben, we really need to find suitable individuals to become the last two Rangers," she took a sip from her fruit smoothie.  
  
"I have a couple people in mind, but I'm not so sure yet..."  
  
"We really shouldn't hesitate. You never know when Vratix plans to launch another assault."  
  
"That's true... but..." His gaze wondered off.  
  
"But what?" she put her hand on his. He never got used to the sensation, warm, like human skin, but with an almost aura like feel of coolness, like an aquatic creature. He quietly shifted his hands.  
  
"Just tell me the candidates," she said in a more serious tone, which grabbed his attention. She stared deeply into his eyes.  
  
"Alright, I guess," he leaned forward, and she did as well.  
  
"The two prime candidates are two friends of mine who graduated from the academy last year, Jen and Jake. Instead of going on to become full fledged scientists, they've taken a leave of absence to live on the surface working as lifeguards at the beach we were just on. They had been senior members of the Martial Arts team with me, so from an abilities standpoint, they're pretty suitable."  
  
"And the surface issue wouldn't be a problem due to the bubble-wave transporter function of the Depth Gauges. In fact, their being on the surface would be an asset to us, since we could rely on their reports of news onshore. I've noticed that even with your Internet and all that, news doesn't travel here that fast."  
  
"Yeah, the Internet connection thing at the ocean floor hasn't had all the kinks worked out yet."  
  
"The other person is my best friend David. He's in a number of my classes - the Martial Arts team too - and I think the camaraderie that exists between us would be a lot to the team."  
  
"This is all great, but we only have two more depth gauges. You've named three candidates."  
  
"So then it's either Jen and Jake, and then ignore my best friend. Or, we pick David and split up the Jen and Jake combination, which might be hard in terms of one of them being in on the secret and having to hide it from the other."  
  
"Which would be strenuous at best," from the emphasis of her answer, Ben could tell which direction Avot was leaning toward.  
  
"Ok, so I'm sensing we're gonna go with Jen and Jake."  
  
"Yes, I think that's the wisest course of action. With all due respect to your close friend David... it just seems like such a mess will develop if we break up the pair of Jen and Jake." Ben's thoughts flashed to his friend for a moment and how disappointed he would be if he knew what was going on.  
  
"I guess it's settled then," he pursed his lips and nodded. Avot smiled.  
  
"Oh wait, I forgot!"  
  
"What is it?" She tilted her head to the side a little.  
  
"Jen is actually back home this week, visiting her family."  
  
"So then it seems we have an opportune time to present her with a Depth Gauge."  
  
"Yes, after we leave here I'll get in touch with her and set up a meeting between the three of us."  
  
"Sounds good, I'll see you then. I'll leave my communicator on." She tapped the phone-like device clipped to her belt at the hip. Ben watched her get up and saunter out the door. He lowered his gaze and stirred his soda with his straw, and thought about David - how he might react at their decision to omit him as a member of the team. He left a tip on the table and went to find Jen.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"So that's the deal, Jen," Ben concluded his summary of the situation and the offer being presented. The three of them stood in Ben's room.  
  
"We need both you and Jake for our team," Avot added, her aquatic features uncovered in this private location.  
  
"Well," Jen put a hand to her chin, balanced it on the other arm which she placed across her chest, and began to think. She walked to the far end of the room and remained still in this thoughtful pose for a moment. She whirled around suddenly, which startled Avot temporarily. Her shoulder- length medium brown hair fluttered about her shoulders. She was few inches shorter than Ben, and wore loose cargo pants and a sweatshirt with a hood pulled back.  
  
"I'm in. However, I can't speak for Jake. You'll have to tell him about all this. I'm sure he'll accept a position as a Ranger as well. I just can't say for certain," she put her hands on her hips.  
  
"Alright!" Ben reached out his hand and they shook in agreement. Avot dug out the box containing the remained Depth Gauges from under Ben's bed. She presented the open case to Jen, who chose the Pink Gauge.  
  
"Jen, you are now the Pink Giant Squid Ocean Force Ranger," Avot smiled. Jen's expression showed that she was a little disgusted by her Power Animal of choice.  
  
"Squid?" Jen repeated.  
  
"Giant Squid," Avot corrected her.  
  
"That's not making me feel any better about it, Avot," she strapped the Gauge to her wrist.  
  
"If this is any consolation, Jen, you have a really cool Zord," Avot said. The other two teens laughed. Ben's computer started sounding a high- pitched, whooping alarm, and a minimized window opened to full size.  
  
"What's that?" Ben asked.  
  
"I made a few modifications to your desktop computer. This is a warning system. Whenever one of several ocean-bound cameras I set up spots any danger related to an attack by Vratix, it sets off this klaxon. If you'll notice, your Depth Gauges are setting off a similar alarm," Avot sat down at the console. Ben heard his Gauge beeping, but ignored it and walked over to the computer with Jen. The screen showed a group of Sharkons attacking a group of beach goers.  
  
"Wait, isn't that where you and Jake are normally stationed?" Ben asked.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"So that means we can give him the last Depth Gauge!" Avot finished Ben's thought.  
  
"Not exactly. We're both on vacation at the moment, so he's visiting some of our old classmates somewhere in North Carolina. I can't remember where exactly, sorry."  
  
"It's ok, we'll have to take them on with just the three of us," Avot said. The three of them lined up, crossed their arms below the wrist, raised their arms upward into a diving position, and activated the Depth Gauges.  
  
"Power Rangers Ocean Force! Dive in!" They were enveloped in beams of light particular to their own Ranger colors. Jen's Ranger Suit was more like Ben's, but pink with a skirt. Her helmet was a mix of pink and white, with the pink parts resembling a squid with tentacles wrapped around to the back of the helmet. They formed a point above the middle of the helmet, where the top and bottom halves met.  
  
"You guys go on ahead. I have something to take care of!" Ben said unexpectedly.  
  
"Be quick about it. We'll see you soon," Avot replied. She nodded to Jen to see if she was ready. Together, columns of bubbles covered them, and they were gone. Ben grabbed the last Depth Gauge and teleported as well.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Avot and Jen were making short work of the Sharkons. Ben hadn't been joking when he said that Jen was a high-ranking member of his Martial-Arts team at school. Her agility and power were a sight to behold. Reaching out, she slammed to Sharkon heads together and performed a split to avoid being bitten. Rising to her feet, she slipped her hands underneath the monster's armpits and flung him into a another group.  
  
Avot cartwheeled to dodge an attack, but suddenly stopped when a Sharkon leaped in front of her. She stood balanced on her right hand. As several more Sharkons approached, she initiated a spinning pinwheel kick, which sent them flying in all directions.  
  
Jen pulled out her harpoon dagger and sliced a trio of Sharkons before they knew what had hit them. She flipped the blade over her shoulders, bringing the blunt end of the hilt crashing down onto the head of a sneaky Sharkon. They both rushed at the last group of Sharkons. However, another group burst from the sand, surrounding them. One creature hit Jen with a one-two punch combo. Another elbowed Avot in the guy and swept her feet from under her.  
  
Abruptly, two Sharkons' chests exploded in showers of sparks. Both young women looked up from the ground and saw the Red Ranger running towards them, his harpoon blaster outstretched in his hand. He dropped another Sharkon before something connected hard with his back, sending him sprawling to the ground beside the others. The three Rangers saw what had attacked Ben. It was one of Vratix's monsters. This one was modeled after an eel, with a large slimy green-brown head, yellow eyes, and clawed hands at the end of serpentine arms. It wore body army that covered its chest and back, with a sheet of armor extending down between its legs in the front. Its flattened tail whipped back and forth behind it in the air.  
  
"Hello there, Rangers. Allow me to introduce myself. I am Moraygo, and Overload Vratix sent me with the job of eliminating you pesky brats!" The monster put its hands on its chest and laughed heartily. The remaining Sharkons grabbed the Rangers and stood them up with their arms pinned behind them.  
  
"Oh boy am I going to enjoy this!" the monster reached into a sheath on his back and pulled out a wriggling green eel. Moraygo held it near the tail and cracked it like a whip, and the eel straightened out into a sword, with the ridge running down its back as the blade. Moraygo began its charge.  
  
"Now!" Ben shouted. In unison, the Rangers pulled their legs to their chests, and rolled forward. Their Sharkon captors smacked into the sand on their backs, stunned. The Rangers drew their harpoon daggers and quickly struck down the last few Sharkons just as Moraygo reached them. All four blades crossed when he swung his sword down. Moraygo shoved the Rangers back. He blocked Ben's dagger strike and planted a kick in his chest. Ducking below Avot's swing, he elbowed her in the back, and then sliced her between the shoulder blades.  
  
Jen jumped forward, batting aside Moraygo's weapon. She scored a pair of kicks and slashed him across his armored torso. Moraygo staggered, but came back with a head butt, which lifted Jen off her feet. He quickly backhanded Ben as he was getting to his feet, and uppercutted Avot on her chin with the hand guard on his sword. All three Rangers lay on the ground, clutching their injuries.  
  
Out of nowhere a black staff with a blade on the end cut Moraygo from hip to opposite shoulder. He crashed to the ground in a hail of sparks. The Black Orca Ocean Force Ranger stood between his comrades and the monster. His black power suit resembled Ben and Jen's. His helmet was black on top, white on bottom, with a pointed fin rising from the top, a pair of green eyes in white spots on either side, or the eye port was surrounded by two rows of teeth. In his hands he held his power weapon, the Orca Staff. It was a long staff with a black and white pattern across its length, a rounded stud at the bottom, and a single blade at the top. He spun it around, holding the blade pointing downward with the opposite end pressed against his back and over his shoulder.  
  
"Just how many of you guys are there!?" Moraygo cried. The Black Ranger raced toward the monster. He spun his staff around, batting Moraygo across his long face with the blunt end of the weapon. Reversing direction, he smacked his head the other way. He parried Moraygo's blade to the side, planted the round end of the Orca Staff into the group and spun around the pole to kick the creature in the chest with both feet. Moraygo flew backward, and landed in the sand several feet away with a loud thud.  
  
"Jake!!" Jen cried out. However, the Black Ranger kept his back turned to the others.  
  
"It's time to finish him!" he yelled over his shoulder. The others scrambled to their feet and pulled out their own power weapons. Ben pulled out his Mako Sword, with its hilt resembling a shark engulfing the handle. Avot pulled out the Turtle Shield, which resembled a sea-turtle's shell with razor edges. Finally, Jen pulled out her twin Squid Kamas, small staffs with sickle-shaped blades on the ends. They joined the Black Ranger and combined their weapons to form the Wave Buster. Avot rotated the handle of her shield downward, Jen's Squid Kama attached to the bottom of the Turtle Shield, blades poking out from beneath in front, Ben laid his Mako Sword across a notch in the top, and the Orca Staff shortened, the bladed end placed atop the hilt. Moraygo noticed what was happening and scrambled to his feet.  
  
"Oh no," he blurted, raising his sword in a defensive position.  
  
"Wave Buster, fire!" The Rangers said together. A large, bright blue beam with two white beams rotating around it shot from the end of the Mako Sword. It shattered Moraygo's eel saber and slammed into his chest before piercing through his back. He fell to his knees and exploded, spraying sand everywhere. They disassembled the Wave Buster and teleported back to Ben's room. There, Ben, Avot, and Jen removed their helmets and turned to face the Orca Ranger.  
  
"Jake, is that you?" Jen asked.  
  
"No," came the reply.  
  
"Then who are you...?" Avot's brow furrowed.  
  
"I'll show you," The Black Ranger replied as his hands reached to the clasps of the sides of his helmet. Slowly, he unbuckled the clasps and slid off his helmet.  
  
"No way," Avot and Jen said together. Ben smiled.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 


	3. Chapter Three: The Tsunami Rangers

"You are...?" Avot asked, not recognizing the Orca Ranger. He had dark green eyes with short dark brown hair.  
  
"David," the other smiled, holding his helmet in the crook of his elbow.  
  
"But how-" Jen began, puzzled.  
  
"Ben came to me and told me everything. He said that you guys needed my help, and you couldn't get to Jake in time. So when the two of you went to face the Sharkons, Ben found me and gave me the last Depth Gauge. I understand that this may be have been my one and only shot at being a Ranger, and I will return the Gauge if you want me to."  
  
"Suddenly I'm not so sure about that..." Avot said in contemplation. "Granted, Ben and I had decided to choose Jake as the last Ranger for security purposes, and to not split up Jake and Jen. However," she looked at David. "You have proved your worth as an invaluable member of the team, and I wouldn't so readily ask you to give up the Orca powers." Ben clapped David on the shoulder upon hearing the good news.  
  
"I think I can work around Jake, it shouldn't be that hard..." Jen added.  
  
"We'll have to see," David replied. "If secrecy becomes too much of a problem I will readily transfer the powers to Jake."  
  
"Aside from that, David you were incredible!" Avot gushed. "How did you get so good with the Naginata?"  
  
"As Ben can tell you, it's my weapon of choice on the Martial Arts team. Every person in the group chooses a weapon to become proficient in, and it just so happens that the Naginata is mine."  
  
"Guys, it would probably be best to power down now, especially since I can't guarantee when my parents might get home from work," Ben said after opening his door a crack and peering out. Everyone reached for their Power Gauges and initiated the de-morphing process. In a moment, all four Rangers stood there in their normal clothes.  
  
"Thanks everyone, let's head to SF for a round of smoothies!" Ben suggested.  
  
"Yeah!" came the general consensus. They all began to leave his room. As she approached the door, Avot quietly closed it and stepped back, leaving her and Ben as the only occupants.  
  
"Um... Avot? What's up?" Ben paused and rubbed the back of his head nervously.  
  
"I just wanted to commend you on your brash course of action," she began, still facing away from him. "That not only was courageous, but ended up saving the team," now she turned, with a sly look on her face.  
  
"You can be pretty spontaneous when it comes down to it," she paused. "I like that," she stepped closer until they were practically nose-to-nose.  
  
"I'm not sure what I should say..." he glanced nervously at the floor.  
  
"Well, let me just say..." she reached over a kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks," Avot smiled her usual smile. Ben couldn't help but be enchanted by her beautiful features. She slowly turned around and sauntered out of the room, Ben following close behind.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Overlord Vratix stood at the viewport of his giant spacecraft, which was shaped like a large dome, with tentacles hanging from the bottom, which extended from the docked landing craft. He clenched his razor-sharp teeth, curling his upper lip in a snarl, bringing the tip of his long nose curving backward slightly. The shark-like alien was growing impatient with the performance of his minions thus far. Yurta and Mohtran stood cowering behind him. Yurta was a fish-like female, with a head-tail that ended in a flat fin like a dolphin hanging down her back. Mohtran, on the other hand, was a brawny reptilian sea-monster. Fangs protruded visibly from his lower jaw.  
  
Suddenly, sirens began going off all over the command deck. Yurta and Mohtran scrambled to the info-screens, and the various pilot-Sharkons ran back and forth, checking the status monitors. The ship rocked unexpectedly.  
  
"What was that?!" Vratix growled.  
  
"Just a moment sir!" Yurta stammered. After a few seconds, Mohtran turned around.  
  
"It appears that two unknown vessels bounced off our hull, and are currently on a descending course through Earth's atmosphere," he reported.  
  
"And just where are these ships heading, exactly?"  
  
"It appears, sir, that they will plunge into the Pacific Ocean, approximately 1.5 miles from the crash-site of the Juktan vessel."  
  
"Interesting..." Vratix raised a clawed hand and stroked his jaw thoughtfully.  
  
"What should we do now?" Yurta asked.  
  
"For now, we wait to see what becomes of these vessels. However, go ahead and prepare out next creature."  
  
"Oh yes, the Clawdizer, right away!" Yurta and Mohtran ran off to the lab together.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Just as had been predicted, the two ships crashed into the deep blue waters, settling almost side by side at the sandy bottom. The two hatches opened simultaneously, bubbles rising upward, with water rushing in. A beam of blue light shot out from one, while a golden beam shot out from the other.  
  
On the surface, the two beams exploded from beneath the surface. Two mysterious figures materialized on the shore amidst a crowd of startled beach goers. One drew an ax, the other two daggers, and both formed battle stances. They rushed at each other, slashing and hacking. The formerly calm ocean side resort erupted into a battle field.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"Hey guys, check the news feed!" David called to his friends. He sat a terminal near to the booth the others were sitting in. They quickly joined him, peering over his shoulder.  
  
"What is it?" Jen rested a hand on the back of David's chair.  
  
"Something's going on up there," he clicked a vid-link and a window opened up, showing a newscast's footage of two warriors trading blows on the beach.  
  
"They look like... Power Rangers..." Ben thought aloud. Avot's eyes widened. Ben noticed and turned to her.  
  
"What is it, Avot?"  
  
"I know those guys.... Well sort of."  
  
"I hope you don't mind telling us what their deal is?" David said over his shoulder.  
  
"I don't personally know them. They're really nothing more than Juktan legends."  
  
"I'd say they're much more than legends," Jen looked concerned.  
  
"They look incredibly powerful," Ben leaned in to get a closer look.  
  
"They are. Those are the Tsunami Rangers," Avot swallowed hard.  
  
"That's great, so we have more help against Vratix," David enlarged the vid- window.  
  
"Yeah, but why are they fighting one another?" Jen asked, puzzled.  
  
"It's a long story. But here's the short version," everyone turned to face Avot. She took a deep breath and continued.  
  
"They're actually brothers. Or, maybe that is, they were brothers. Somehow, someway, their parents were murdered on our home world many years ago when their home was destroyed in a mysterious explosion. Both were cleared of all charges, and the real killers got away without a trace. The brothers had been away training with the government, acting as living test-dummies for the first Ranger Powers we developed. However, one brother accused the other being the culprit, based on circumstantial evidence. The accused brother did nothing to deny his brother's suspicions. The two have been at war ever since. They were expelled from Jukta after causing great damage, and basically move from planet to planet, continuing there never-ending battle."  
  
"And now they've reached Earth," David concluded. Avot nodded solemnly.  
  
"This is just great. Now besides Vratix and his goons, we have these two jokers to worry about!" Ben sighed.  
  
"Guys we have to get up there now and stop them," Jen stood up and tapped her Power Gauge. The others got up and followed her to the far wall. After checking to make sure the door was unlocked, the gathered in a supply closet and teleported to the surface.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
When the Rangers arrived, the two Tsunami Rangers were still trading blows. After a furious exchange, they backed away from one another for a moment's rest.  
  
The Navy Manta Tsunami Ranger's suit was a mix of navy and white. His helmet had a navy manta just above the eye port, fins joined together at the back, with the long tail threaded between. He had full shoulder armor, shaped like a manta, colored blue and silver, with the head prongs on his chest, wings over his shoulders, and tail down the back,.  
  
The Gold Kronosaur Tsunami Ranger's suit was patterned like his brother's in gold and black. His chest armor had black, teeth-like ridged running vertically across his shoulders over gold armor. His helmet was rectangular in the golden front, his eye port surrounded by teeth, red eyes above and to the side of the eye port. The rounded backside was a glossy black.  
  
The Manta Ranger gripped the Manta Axe, which was dual bladed, resembling a Manta swimming downward, the tail sticking upwards as a spike. The Kronosaur Ranger held his Krono Daggers, twin golden blades with black running through the middle, ending in a twin points meant to resemble teeth.  
  
"Stop!" Avot called out. The other two, who were kneeling, jerked their heads to face her.  
  
"What's this?" The Manta Ranger asked, audibly shocked.  
  
"More Rangers?" His brother was equally confused.  
  
"We don't wish to get in the middle of this, but you will not use Earth as your battle field!" Ben exclaimed.  
  
"Who says you can dictate where we take our fight!?" The golden ranger sneered.  
  
"Stay out of this!" The other warned.  
  
"I'm afraid we can't do that," David stepped forward.  
  
"And what can you do about it? Black Ranger?" The Krono Ranger challenged. David responded by reaching into his holster and pulling out the harpoon- saber, engaging the blade mode.  
  
"You don't think we know the extent of your powers? Yours were in development while we were testing ours!" The Manta Ranger rose to his feet. His brother did the same.  
  
"Enough of this!" The Krono Ranger charged. The other Ocean Force Rangers brandished their own harpoon-sabers. The Krono Ranger dove straight for the Orca Ranger, who blocked both daggers with his saber. He was flung backward by a powerful kick to the chest. The spun on his heel and roundhoused the approaching Pink Ranger. Batting back the saber of the Red Ranger, he slashed him across the chest in an X, jump-kicked the Green Ranger and brought an elbow down hard on her back as she fell.  
  
For some reason, the Manta Ranger hung back. Ben noticed this out of the corner of his visor before being kneed across the face and spinning to the ground. Jen sprang up and attacked while the Krono Ranger was busy with David. She landed an upward slash, and sparks flew from his back armor. He stumbled forward, shoved David hard, side-kicked Jen in the stomach and chest, then tripped her. Turning back around, he punched David while still holding his dagger, and then cut his sword arm with a swift jab. David shouted in pain and retreated a few steps, clutching the smoking wound. The others gathered behind him. Avot paused and looked at the Manta Ranger.  
  
"What's wrong!? Why not help us?!" She called. He took a few steps forward, then hesitated again.  
  
"Take this, weaklings!" The Krono Ranger touched the tips of his daggers, waved them in a spiral, and then held them toward the Rangers. "Krono Spiral Blast!" A golden beam shot outward, exploding all over the Rangers. All of them collapsed to the ground in a hail of sparks.  
  
"Help us!!!" Avot shouted, smoke rising up from her many new injuries. The Manta Ranger began walking forward, slowly.  
  
"As if he'd ever help you!" The Krono Ranger laughed maniacally.  
  
"Please!!" Ben pleaded. The Krono Ranger turned his back to his brother and kicked Ben hard. The Manta Ranger began a slow jog.  
  
"I told you, he'll never step in for weaklings like you!" He kicked Ben again, even harder. Bored with Ben's groans of agony, he began kicking Jen in the back. The Manta Ranger's jog turned into an all-out run. He held his axe out to the side, tip aimed toward the ground, his other arm outward to provide balance. As he got closer, he leapt into the air, spun around, and took a mighty swing. His brother turned around and took the full force of the blow across his chest. Staggering, he dropped to his knees, holding a hand to his torso.  
  
"But... why...?" He stammered.  
  
"Because they're right... and you're a murderer," The Manta Ranger moved to stand beside the Ocean Force Rangers, and helped them to their feet.  
  
"We'll meet again, brother," the Krono Ranger activated his Depth Gauge and teleported away.  
  
"I'm afraid I must go... we will see each other soon, I know it," the Manta Ranger also teleported. 


End file.
